This is by far the most professional, detailed and informative history on FM on RU-vid (and elsewhere), very well done. Here's to hoping there will be a pt 2 one day.
Wow, I thought I knew everything about FM history but you made an even deeper research!! Amazing!! Btw, John McCarthy is one of the most important genius of all time in computing history. Interesting to see he was so related to FM.
My pleasure! I'm glad to know this comprehensive version of the FM/DX story is finally out there. Great work on your channel btw, thanks for stopping by! :)
@@madFame I knew a lot of this history, but what I didn't before realize was HOW MANY prototypes Yamaha went through. Truly amazing! The depth of research required to not only collect all this information but ALSO get pictures of all the prototypes is very impressive. Thank you so much for doing this! No doubt this was an incredible amount of work to put together. My first polyphonic synth was a DX7. I still remember when the DX series first came out; the discussions that were had between musicians and the impact the DX7 had on people at the time. At lot of it seems to be forgotten today. For example, many people underestimate the importance of the touch sensitivity of the keybed and the polyphony. The DX line had a lot of features that were not common, if found at all, on analog synths of the time. For many, the DX was the first synthesizer that felt like a REAL instrument in its responsiveness and was ALSO affordable. That's not just FM at play there; the combination of key scaling, velocity and aftertouch and breath controller made it feel like an organic instrument, not just a box of electronics. The high polyphony for the time meant you could finally do jazz chords on a synth. The fact that FM sounded like nothing that came before certainly was helpful, too, but those other things combined with the price point are what really turned it into a best-seller. It also was a LOT easier to haul around everywhere than a Rhodes. Also, analog purists aren't a new invention. They existed right the day the DX came out. There were vociferous DX and digital haters and they used all the same arguments back then that we still hear today. There were also too many who went all-in on digital. My position always was that digital and analog offer different palettes that complement each other and both technologies deserve a place in a well-rounded keyboard rig. Layering them well gives something more than the sum of the parts and thanks to MIDI that became possible to do easily from the DX onward. Anyway, all those prototypes Yamaha went through were ultimately worth the effort. It clearly allowed them to refine their FM presentation substantially. When they finally came out with a product, they really hit a sweet spot in the market. The DX line wasn't perfect, but at the time it had an unbelievable impact. I can't wait to see what you have in store for part 2!
@dyacktman I agree with you 100%. What makes the DX7 so special is ALL of those improvements and capabilities combined. It wasn't just a new way to make sounds, it was a practical way to make a synthesizer do what a keyboard musician needed it do. When people compare it to the Juno106 they're missing the point, the DX7 wasn't even in the same category as a keyboard let alone a synthesizer. Phenomenal when it came out.
Wow! I had no idea the development was this organic. Step by step. Many venturing into a complete unknown; leap of faith that something could come of this. Cheers to Yamaha for taking a gamble. They deserve their success and accolades. Speculative visionaries that added something new and wondrous to the world. It's what we all wish we could do.
Well said, this technology had so many obstacles, it's very fortunate that it even made it out into the world at all. You're right about venturing into the unknown, this was so new and required such a change in thinking and technology that they had to create it from scratch. Absolutely amazing.
Phenomenal work. I've always wanted to learn about the history leading up to the DX7 (as it is my most beloved instrument) and you satisfied that desire perfectly. Excited for Part II :)
Glad you enjoyed it! I was curious too, as there's not much in-depth history on this amazing technology. I decided to do the job myself and I'm glad it's being received well. Please share this video if you get the opportunity :)
I like that this video brings up the fact that digital synthesis has its roots about as early as analog synthesizers. It's just that the affordability curves just reached an inflection point with the Yamaha DX-7.
Of course audio FM existsted before John Chowning in modular systems (especially Buchla). He only made it a linear process as opposed to a exponential one.
Exactly, Synthesizer Keith has a good video on this. This important difference in method is one of the topics I plan to cover in the next Origin episode.
@@madFame The DX is phase modulation, and one advantage of that is the ability to implement Feedback, (which was a contribution of Yamaha's building on Chowning's research & implementation )
21:30 Part 2 seem hard to find. Maybe a link in the description would be handy. Great video. I especially like how it show how many people and aspects are involved (where you generally read about one or two key figures and a company, suggesting the intoxicating idea only one or two people need a great idea to create great inventions).
Fantastic work, Ra! I am both hugely impressed and deeply envious of what you achieved here. I am very much looking forward to further chapters and expansions to this fascinating tale, particularly the deleted parts you mentioned. Maybe a "director's cut for Patreon members? ;-) Well done, sir. you should be very proud!
Thanks Rob! I always wanted a more in-depth telling of the FM story but it just never came. While this video is not an exhaustive entry, it's far more than whats been available so far, so I'm happy about that. I had approached a few people for photos, footage, and information about FM/DX, but I only heard back from Dr. Chowning and Kato-san. I'm glad what little I stitched together is being received well, it was a lot of bloody work :D I made sure all the good stuff was in the video but I'll let you guys know about the other information on Patreon soon. Thanks for your support and kind words, it goes a really long way.
@@madFame I've been looking to document the whole X-Series story and have been researching a lot, so your video has helped immensely. I'm looking to cover not just the tech behind the FM synths, but also the story behind the whole concept behind the X-Series components from the technology to the design and marketing :-)
@Failed Muso Wow, that sounds exciting! Let me know if I can help in any way. :) I love exhaustive historical presentations. Just seeing that one photo you've never seen before, or learning a new detail in a story is very fun. This episode was the first of many contributions I've been planning since starting Synth Quest. There are some clever people out there who don't get enough credit, it's nice to tell some of their stories.
@@madFame Exactly my thoughts. It's what I've been doing with the Fairlight story these last few years. There's a lot of people out there who barely get the credit and recognition they truly deserve :-)
On top of that the success their sound generator chips found in the PC market with all the sound cards that used Yamaha’s tech… this journey influenced so much about how we perceive and create music
As a multiple Synclavier owner for decades and supporting users worldwide, this is a fantastic video! I have had so many people ask me to do a video and you took care of it for me. I’ll be sure to share your link with our groups.
Beautiful work. As an aside, I would note that Gary Luenberger’s contribution is often underestimated. He acted as far more than simply a programmer. He understood the practical/musical aspects of FM synthesis probably more than any living human being. His NAMM show demonstration’s are legendary among those of us who first adopted FM technology. The upstairs “synth cave” at his San Francisco piano store often played host to many of the prototypes shown in this video, as well as many Yamaha analog instrument prototypes, which never saw the light of day in actual manufacture. I am personally grateful to Gary for the time he took teaching me FM synthesis.
Thanks for the insight ZT Audio! I tried reaching out to Gary to get a more accurate account of his involvement, but I was unable to reach him unfortunately. In my research I became aware of how legendary his programming work on the CS-80 had become in the 70's, and then his input with FM. Don Lewis also reached out to me after seeing this video and gave me some insight into his involvement too. I hope to give these influential contributors their dues in a subsequent video, (if I can return to making videos that is). Thanks for watching! :)
I'm glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching! I've had to take a break from research and filming due to work and lockdowns etc, but I hope to make episode two eventually. Thanks again :)
Thanks Steven! I hope you're well brother, and I look forward to making the next video for you guys. Thanks for helping to keep this channel going since the beginning, I appreciate it every day.
Great documentary. Glad to have contributed a bit to it with the Synclavier photos. Looking forward to watching the next video. I met John Chowing when he was giving his famous lecture at Berkeley. I showed up way early to make sure I got a seat only to find his presentation happened in a tiny classroom with perhaps 15 students - incredible. Then Don Buchla stopped by to ask something and left. What a great time to be there :-)
@rootstudio Thank you again for your photos, they were perfect! It's funny while making this video, how time consuming it was to find quality images. I tried my best to pack in as much visual info for everyone and your photos helped so much. That's a great story about that lecture, it's funny how other legends just casually stroll in or are nearby. There's a NAMM video interview with John Chowning and he's talking about Hammond coming to see FM at Stanford for the first time (around 1972). Chowning recounts how Hammond sent Don Lewis to check out FM and then Lewis walks in on the interview as if on cue. Crazy!
Brilliant work, Ra!! Beautifully done and great to see that Chowing and Hiro Kato themselves provided photos and information. I’m really looking forward to part II. Thank you for the effort of creating this video. Greetings from the Netherlands!
Amazing video!!! very professional, rigorous and detailed, probably the best work ever on the net about FM synthesis and the origins of the famous DX7. Thanks a lot from a DX7II and TX81Z owner. :) Kudos.
Wow thanks, glad you liked it! Most info about the development of the DX7 is fairly limited and uninformative so this took a long time to research. I made this with the original engineers and FM synth owners like yourself in mind. Thanks for watching :)
Enjoyed this a lot. I knew someone who sold their DX7. I couldn't believe it when they told me. I'd love to own one. X Files tune sound is a preset, so is some of Return of the Living Dead. That's all I need.
Excellent info. I always had it in mind that Robert Moog had a hand in Yamahas development of FM. Apparently not. I learned something new ... I had (still have ) a Yamaha CX-5M MSX Music Computer, got it as soon as it came out. in '84. There are sounds in there that I can't find anywhere else, I've tried recreating them from my memory in virtual FM synths but the sound I'm most eager to get to again must be relying on an aspect of zipper noise/quantization aliasing artefacts. I'll just have to get the CX-5M going again if I can. A tipped lightbulb melted the mini music keyboard but I should be able to trigger it via MIDI ...
Yeah that's interesting, I can't actually recall a time when Robert Moog and FM were ever mentioned in the same sentence. Did Dr. Moog ever do any work with digital synthesis or consider digital synthesis? That question has never occurred to me until now, but I bet Marc Doty would know the answer to that. That's really interesting to hear about the subtle characteristics of your CX5M, I've never heard one in person before. I know that the various FM chips do have very distinct sonic identities, some more than others.
@@madFame Sounds Like: From what I remember the CX5M FM chip in the SFG-01 and SFG-05 FM Voicing Unit is the same as or very similar to that of the DX-9. BTW the SFG=01/05 is a box that is slotted into the underside of the computer and attached to the motherboard via an edge connector. Mine originally had the SFG-01 but I bought the SFG-05 later then adapted a 'regular' MSX computer to run the older unit, It just needed a bit of etched PCB to act as a double edge connecter.
Thanks for this video. And thank you for pronouncing the Japanese names correctly. We do owe Mr. Kawakami gratitude for making the decision to move forward with what became the DX-7.
There is a photograph at 4:11 labeled with the date year of 1966 that shows two generations of Yamaha DX7 synthesizers, which wouldn't come into existence for another 17 years.
The photo is there to show Dr Chowning in his teaching role, which started in 1966 as labelled. Unfortunately, I had to sacrifice accuracy since I couldn’t source a photo of his first day on the job in 1966 :(
Superb content, very nicely narrated, with great music (that does not interfere), kudos to you, and thank you! A subject very little known, but given the impact it had in popular culture, incredibly so.
Unbelievable history. Today we can pay 5000$ for the top piece of instrument. Just in today days we getting this almost free instruments for the big history
nice! i've been messing around with the dexed emulation. the interface of that makes fm synthesis easier but the profound level of control still complicates things. at least i don't have to use that tiny led interface on the original.
The Yamaha CE25 was my first (fm)synth. I used to gigging a lot with it.
4 года назад
Yamaha created something with the future in mind for the future. I still have my DX7 mk1 and it's still 100% functioning. I just had to change the internal battery once (!) Thank You Yamaha.
I agree, they took a big risk and put in a fantastic amount of effort to shape and expand the future of sound design and synthesis. There a very few synth companies out there redefining synthesis today as most companies are satisfying analog nostalgia, and sample-based workflows. I do wonder if there'll ever be such a ground breaking synthesis technology on the scale of DX/FM again.
This is the completest info for me!!! THX a lot! But I also would like to know is there any secret of YAMAHA ELECTONE FX/FS series? Also FM synth, but some sounds still you can't replicate from any DX FM synth
Brilliant video. Very well researched and presented. Impossible not wanting to buy a DX after it :) Wish mine on Waldorf was half as good. Well done.👏🏽👏🏽
I have DX7 classic, DX7 II-FD and DX21 and i will never give up to use them....my dx7 classic is dead but i keept it in my room..i have now kronos 2 and i loaded my sounds from my dx7...very good in kronos too but i prefer the dx... from dx7 II-FD i like more dx7 classic.
Interestingly, the MAD prototype organ from 1975 reflects the image which entered my mind when I first heard the word ”synthesizer” as an eight-year-old 13 years later. I pictured an instrument which simultaneously resembled a computer and an organ. It also was fitting when I learned about the Con Brio models which appeared to pick up somewhere between the MAD and the GS1, continuing the dual-manual/computer layout and encouraging tonal exploration in lieu of being hinged to presets like on the GS1 and DX7. It’s a drag that Con Brio couldn’t get their prototypes into any form of production.
Great doco this is. Did you ever make pt2? I still have my original DX7 bought in 1984, and I’d sussed all the programming back then, inc the filter sweeps. But it’s so good to find this all so well explained and documented, great refresher as I pulled the DX out recently and have been getting back into it. Mine has a DXMax expansion board, giving it 8 memory banks, saveable functions, 32 arpeggiators and a host of other midi functions inc Stack, Delay and Rolling mode (up to 4 patches alternating for each key stroke)..
l had the Yamaha CX5M which was a 4 operator system ( only 30Kb ) but an incredible tool. l was able to record in ‘real time’ or ‘step time’ many tracks to be played back.
Wow, I'm glad you liked the video. Your work with IC's is really impressive, I found your channel a few months ago and loved how in-depth you take your investigations. Thanks for watching and sharing your comment. :)
@@madFame Released a video last week about the heavy technical side of things, with part 2 coming soon. I mention this video as the one to watch first!
Very interesting to learn about the surround of the DX7 , as I'm to mix in one box my DX 7, My Tx7, and a computer for programming, I've also a DX 21, not after touch capable. As I see it's not new, just a return to origins. In fact the Dx series were made to have a programming computer. I have sysex files collection for the Dx 6op and 4op, and old computers able for programming software made for that, so it was fine to have done this video, pointing the origins of those original sounds, and I think FM is complementary to analogs, and long waving sounds particularly are very more originals than actual modular in analogics, so I will explore that way to use synthesis soon then i will finish the set up of my keyboard, wich will include other analog features , for modular complements, I will think about when the FM setup will work. The box will be with nut wood on the front panel which will allow me to redesign it like early DX trails, but the computer will be vertical and separately made. Lot of work before playing.
Great video. What's the technology frontier nowadays as fm was in the 60'? Is it really possible that the next big deal is just another new plugin? This is not thinking out of the box. Thinking that just another vst will be an innovation it would be like, in the 60', just add another oscillator to the subtractive synths already in use. How can we be so creative nowadays as they were in the 60' thinking of the completely new fm?
Why not mention that it is phase modulation instead of fm , one of the biggest misconceptions of all It's phase modualtion and NOT frequency modulation
It's true, FM is the accepted term used for this type of synthesis, even though in technical terms it is actually phase modulation. I considered mentioning this, but I didn't have the answer as to why Yamaha stuck with calling it FM - which I'm sure would be everyone's next question! Also, with so many new products using this method of synthesis and STILL calling it FM, it seems the distinction of PM over FM may not matter in the synth world. Here's a great breakdown of the difference between PM and FM for those who are interested: moinsound.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/frequency-modulation-or-phase-modulation-synthesizer-technologies/
BIG THANKS to Mister Chowning for having provided you with so much precious material for your FM Synthesis Mini Documentary. I love and admire FM Synthesis because no other Sound Synthesis Technology sounds exactly like that. It is truly unique and has sound capabilities that we barely even scratched the surface of.
It was used on the sega genesis, which its versatile and cheap. Analog vintage synths cost way to much to maintain I think that why they made virtual analog Synths way cheaper to manufacture then analog parts.
Why is it your least favorite synthesis? lol The only bad part of it is how preset timbres are reused all the time, but doesn't really seem to be an issue with the synthesis in itself
